The Dominica Festival Committee (DFC) is assuring patrons that there will be much more to come for this year’s 22nd edition of the World Creole Music Festival (WCMF).
This assurance came at today’s press conference where afrobeat superstars Burna Boy (headline act) and Omah Lay were announced as the two additional artists to join the already compact lineup for the three-night festival.
According to Tourism Minister Denis Charles, this year’s event which is scheduled for October 29 to 31, is set to be a world-class experience, starting from the fringe events to the big shows.
“So invite visitors to come to Dominica to have a cultural immersion second to none for the entire month and the week leading to the festival,” she said.
Charles further stated, “We will have a Creole village in the Botanic Gardens from October 24th to 27th, which will afford patrons a great time enjoying our local food and drinks, buying authentic Dominican products, and dancing to the rhythms of acts.”
Addressing the ceremony, acting Festival and Events Manager Samantha Letang made known that the DFC received a total of 1724 responses to the public survey on the lineup selection which was launched in April, and was able to secure four out of the top five most recommended artists.
Marketing manager at Discover Dominica Authority (DDA), Kimberly King, also revealed that a digital campaign for the French West Indies market with special offers dedicated to the World Creole Music Festival was recently launched including several of Dominica’s top hotel and guest houses.
As it pertains to access to the country, King reported that DDA has received confirmation from L’Express Des Îles that they will be increasing ferry services from Martinique, Guadeloupe, and St. Lucia into Dominica over the festival days.
She notes that there are still many flights available from across the world to Dominica.
Marketing Manager for Digicel, Marva Williams, used the opportunity to express the company’s excitement about once again partnering with the DFC as the headline sponsor.
Last week, Jamaican artists such as reggae superstars Sizzla, Dexta Daps, Christopher Martin as well as ‘dancehall princess’ Shenseea along with Trinidadian’s Patrice Roberts who performed at the last festival in 2019, and Kes the Band who made an appearance in 2018, were among the big names announced to perform at the festival.
Making an appearance for the Zouk and Compas lovers will be the former lead singer of Kassav band Jocelyne Béroard. Representing the Haitian Kompa music will be K-Dilack and Bedjine, well-known Haitian artist/band Enposib, Chire Lakay as well as French singer of reggae-dancehall music Admiral T.
Significantly, this year’s lineup includes several local artists including the WCMF veterans Bouyon Boss’ Asa Bantan and TK international.
Also expected to rock the festival are bouyon legends, WCK, and the almost 40-year-old versatile First Serenade band. Also on the lineup will be Dominica’s cadence icon Midnight Groovers.
Fans will also be treated to ‘the youngest and the baddest’ Signal Band, Dominica’s number one dancehall artist Colton T and Dominica’s very own kompa band, the Extacy band.
‘The fresh prince of boyoun’ Reo ok Boom and ‘Bouyon queen’ Carlyn XP will make their first appearance as solo artists on the big stage.
Season tickets will be sold at a cost of EC$375, however, patrons have the opportunity to take advantage of the early bird special of EC$300 on the DFC website which ends this Sunday.
Nightly tickets are also being sold at EC$150.
hush allu mouth der
I used to bring my son to “creole in the park” sponsored by “Flow” and he always used to enjoy himself with his friends while I there “taking one two” with mine..
Just hoping that the “creole village” sponsored by Digicel will be just as good..or better..
But I’ve got some serious “reservations”..
You know Simple, I understand both these African artists coming from Nigeria, Port Harcourt, the centre of their oil business. I don’t know how they travel from there to our little Dominica with all their gear but maybe they coming by boat because a little bird tell me they have a ship serving the off-shore oil industry there, called the ABAZI, owned by a feller called Waddell Toru, who operates Riverman Nigeria Ltd. out of Port Harcourt. The interesting thing is that this 40 yr. old boat is flying the flag of Dominica. Check it for yourself, apparently the international marine reg. no. is IMO 8123298. You see how small the world is. Anyway, Bon voyage to these young gentlemen from Nigeria.
Right information, Wrong forum.
Nonsense. They will take a connecting flight from wherever they are at that point in time.
Unfortunately the world is a little less black and white as we have been led to believe. Though I agree with most of the points, one must also consider that the success of the festival is what drives the figureheads decision making process.
I’ve only been to wcmf 2 times, I don’t see any harm in having international artist of any genre. Creole is a mixing of cultures even the language is a melting pot of African, French, some other languages. We are predominantly of African decent. That makes it fitting. You don’t have to agree or like it . But there’s something to gain from evert experience, give our local artist an opportunity to learn something from outside. Embrace change. Music brings people together.
In that case why pretend it is a creole world music festival, when in fact it is no different from the umpteen other festivals, worldwide, where popular music is played in the open. It would be more honest and appropriate to call it the Dominica music festival. At least that would give more prominence to our island’s name.
Your argument is a specious one. it seems as though you have deliberately ignored or distorted the main concern of many.
The event is branded and advertised as a Creole festival but in reality it original intent has been diluted by other external artistes and exotic genres and . Many prominent and potentially budding, talented, local artists are denied the opportunity to showcase their talent and procure a few dollars for themselves.
What’s up with your protracted, pedestrian argument in favour of the many foreign artistes and genres that have totally upended the expressed original objectivr of the festival.
“Many prominent and potentially budding, talented, local artists are denied the opportunity to showcase their”
First Serenade & Reo are on the lineup… how are they not providing the opportunity?
most local artists make subpar music – point blank! the only reason pushing pushing was able to make it out of DA was purely because of people getting a quick laugh out of the nonsense .
If your’e marketing a music festival on an international level, and folks have to struggle to travel to Dominica, at least give them some quality !
Simple – Change the name! To call it Creole Festival is misleading.
Can the Minister please expound when she “notes that there are still many flights available from across the world to Dominica”; whom do you think you are fooling ……; that my lady only exists as a “figment of your imagination”.
I am now learning a survey was done in April and only now hearing about it. Who conducted such survey? If that’s the way we going about organising WCMF then it is soon a RIP event like Ross left. I thought i5 was WCMF and not CAULF (come as you like festival). To many reggae artist and not enough creole bands. To much money spending on african artist. Take back the festival please before it leaves our shores.
According to Tourism Minister Denis Charles, this year’s event which is scheduled for October 29 to 31, is set to be a world-class experience, starting from the fringe events to the big shows.
Please complete this sentence: In the Third World, I measure a world-class experience (and service) by —— ——— ———- ——- ———- ————
Feel free to be resilient with your responses.
Thank you.
Madam Charles is an empty vessel. She would tell everybody that ask what they want to hear. Shame though, she won’t answer any questions regarding her tenure at PetroCaribe. Lots of skeletons here…
May I suggest that the Dominica Festival Committee research the genre of creole music.
I am at a loss to know how Burna Boy’s music qualifies. He describes his music as “R&B, hip hop, dancehall, and reggae” but gives no mention of any tenuous links it may have to creole.
The hallmark of a good marketing program is consistent branding and execution of activities to support said branding, which begs the question, what exactly is creole music and why musicians who don’t create creole music are becoming the highlight of the show.
Very pertinent comment! With the many ‘Non-Creole’ foreign artistes on the show, the advertisement of the festival is misleading. It should now be re-branded as the Dominica Music Festival.
It’s a culture thing, I still don’t think you will quite get it.
TOTO,when people talk about creole what do they mean?Did you know there is something called Jamaican patois,that is wildly spoken in Jamaica?There are different creole,Portuguese,French and Spanish creole.So that BS coming from supporters of UWP is a mark of stupidity jealousy and desperation.Creole in Dominica is a mixture of French,African,Kalinago and English.Louisiana creole is different than Dominica creole,and Haitian creole is different.Creole is not only French.
I don’t think you quite get it.
Culture, albeit misunderstood in the Caribbean, the the very thing that I am defending.
Maybe you could begin by helping yourself with a little research on what is meant by “creole.” No? Try that.
You little islanders always want to live in your little bubble. What is wrong if African superstar artists like Burna Boy joins the show otherwise remove the ‘World’ in the name of the festival.
Whenever I hear the phrase ‘world class or world beating’ I know that they usually come out of the mouth of desperate people. They never have anything to show people but the always have superlative words to convince them. Show me one thing in DA that’s world class or world beating… sorry, I almost forgot we have world beating corruption, nepotism and pro rata crime rates.
And who is paying for all that Denise?
That’s the million dollar question?
No, it’s straight forward, it’s that secret bank account that pays for that. After all this is the kick off session for the new election campaign…
Ask her again..whilst the people struggling they just using the country’s resources and not providing Jobs. Nep cannot sustain our Youth stop waiting our money..
Only in Dominica! A festival that was created for Dominican artiste to earn a living in their country has become a money making event for foreign artiste with nothing to do with Creole!
You are right, I did not know they have creole in Africa but then what do I know, I’m just a simple Dominican.
Try making the world creole music festival s Dominica band only,and let’s see how many foreigners are going to come.And how many Dominicans residing in Dominica are going to attend.A lot of people just don’t think.You Mr Smart Truth be told if you put Biance in Portsmouth,and you put ASA at the part,where do you think most Dominicans are going to go.Dominicans sing,play and listen to foreign songs more than they do local.That’s the way it is,I love my local music,I play it all the time.I am not going to pay $375 or$150 nightly to listen to bands I hear all year round.Well only if Lennox Linton singing COOLWOSH BAWI will come down on police like rain.
Your assault on the English language is absolutely mind boggling. Which school did you attend? The one of dumb and dumber or the one your PM got all his titles from? OMG!
DLP politicians and supporters were never known for their intellect but rather for their insatiable greed.
They should change the name from Creole Festival to Exotic Artistes’ Exclusive Gig.
I follow these sorts of festivals all over the world and Dominica is never included in these people stuff. But this never see come see who reach in positions they never expected to be in always flock our stuff with foreigners. When people don’t believe in themselves that’s a heck of a thing.
Gr8 obervation burna score already..kempinski here comes burna boy. Our creole artiste they put in de shade long time..this is not creole festival..
you ever think about exposure, i guess not… who will leave the states to come to dominica and pay all that money for just dominica artist to perform, also creole is part of africa except you come out from somewhere else!!!!